Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to home automation systems and more specifically to the user interfaces (UIs) of control devices used in home automation systems.
Background Information
Home automation systems are becoming increasingly popular in both residential and commercial buildings. Such systems may be capable of controlling, switching data between, and otherwise interacting with a wide variety of devices, including audio/video devices (A/V) devices, heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) devices, security devices, energy conservation devices, communications devices, telephony devices, and/or other types of devices. Often, a user may indicate desired control to a home automation system utilizing one or more control devices, for example, mobile devices (such as smartphones or tablet computers), remote control units that include a display screen (e.g., a touch sensitive display screen) upon which a user interface (UI) is shown, desktop computers (e.g., personal computers (PCs)), etc.
Prior to users being able to utilize a home automation system, such systems typically require configuration. Further control devices used with such system may require custom UI creation. Typically, an installer (e.g., a paid technician) connects to the system and builds a configuration using specialized software. The installer may then use specialized software to build a custom UI and/or adapt existing UI templates to produce a UI usable on a control device for controlling the configuration. For example, an installer may manually define UI elements (e.g., buttons, sliders, menus, etc.) and the functions of those UI elements. Even when UI templates are available, installers often need to make significant modifications to them before they are appropriate for use on a control device. This sort of manual building of a custom UI by an installer may be referred to as “installer-authoring.”
Installer-authoring of custom UIs for control devices has a number of shortcomings. Among other shortcomings, it is typically time consuming and error prone. The use of installer time generally adds to the overall cost of a home automation system, placing home automation beyond the reach of many consumers. Further, the potential for errors may lead to unreliability and user dissatisfaction with the home automation system.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved techniques for creation of custom UIs for control devices of home automation systems.